The typical wheel suspension for a vehicle involves linkages and springs that confine up and down movement of a wheel to an arc having a fore-and-aft pivot, resulting in departure of the wheel from a vertical plane as it rises and falls. This causes excessive tire wear and changes in wheel relationship during the arcuate travel, thus affecting camber, caster and toe-in. The present invention eliminates these disadvantages by providing a system in which the wheel remains in a vertical plane as it rises and falls, because the beam arrangement dictates such planar movement on account of its fore-and-aft disposition and its beam-to-frame pivot on a transverse horizontal axis.
A further feature of the invention is the use of springs ahead of and behind the beam pivot and arranged to resiliently oppose upward movement of that end of the beam on which a wheel is journalled. In this area, the spring mountings are of compact and simplified design, thus contributing to the low-cost construction and trouble-free operation of the suspension system.
Features other than those enumerated will become apparent as a preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed in detail in the ensuing description and accompanying sheets of drawings.